A Boris Storm

It comes as no surprise to note that the Covid Inquiry has been informed that the Prime Minister, one Boris Johnson, was inept, incompetent, and willing to let old people die if it saved money.  It also comes as no surprise to note the right-wing press are not mentioning this today, instead attacking Cummings, the one time aid to Johnson, who revealed what we already had discovered from the civil servants who spoke in the days previous.

The message is Boris and Sunak had no idea what to do, money was more important, wise medical information ignored or despised, and Hancock, the Health Secretary, was considered by all around as worse than they.  

None of this is a surprise, we knew this at the time, yet the media who also knew this kept quiet then and act surprised now.  I look forward to someone brining a 'manslaughter charge' on them all.

Another stupidly named storm is approaching the land.  Panic is being announced in the media, local councils are preparing for the worst, warnings abound re possible occurrences of wind, rain, flood, and mass destruction.

It's almost as if we have never had a storm before.

Before storms had to be named, and who's idea was that?  Before then the radio or TV man would tell us a storm was approaching, possibly 'Storm force 8 or worse,' and life went on.  Now we must panic in case a storm arrives and the 'Daily Mail' and other tabloids have a chance to attack the weatherman for not warning us that storms arrive during the year as they have done for thousands of years!

I may respond by staying in bed.

Friday Flannel

 

Life after a wee bout of Covid is not much different from what occurred before.  I sit here doing little, thinking little, and watching the 'to do' list slowly curl up as little has been done about that.  This however, changed today as I hoovered quickly because the boiler man is coming to check the boiler tomorrow.  This means moving a couple of things and I wanted to see the dust first and check what may be lying under there.

After that the world slowed down again, and I am glad.

The worst of Covid passed, but the lack of sleep and eating did not do any good.  I ate little yet my weight has not gone down!  This week I have eaten and slept much more, just like having a job again...

Have you noticed how facebook comes alive after 9 am, when office workers turn up for work?  

Facebook at least has ceased the absurd ideas for now.  They have bled us dry in many ways, and still do, but I think the boy is just waiting for Musk to collapse so no new initiatives appear.  Musk, and his swastika Twitter, must collapse soon.  His latest idea of charging a fee has not gone down well.  The number who will move or just drop it, I amongst them, will be great.  His followers will remain but Twitter under Musk is very dead.

With parliament closing down so the parties can have a wee jolly at others expense, I not the PM, a man called Sunak I believe, has announced yet another 'U-Turn,' after being ordered to do this by one Liz Truss.  This has angered the other right-wing zealots who thought they were running the party.  None care for the UK of course, all are concerned to win an election, keep their job, and in Truss's case, make a come-back!  Surely not?  We await the stories of lax living at the conferences any time soon.

The King, that Charlie fellow, went over to France and more or less indicated that Rishi rejecting the 'net-zero' idea was a foolish idea.  Charlie spoke up for doing something about climate change just as Rishi was doing the opposite.  Charles has always been tactful.  There is no doubt he was implying also that BREXIT was a dumb idea and ought to be reversed.  The royals have not forgotten how Boris treated them, have they?  I suspect more to come here.

Summer has ended, Autumn has arrived, I can tell by the rain outside my window, always falling at the wrong angle to clean the panes.   While the natural Englishman still wanders about in shorts and T-shirt more intelligent people are now wearing coats, and coats with hoods I note, as they can tell the temperature drop and notice the wet stuff falling on them.  Some Englishmen appear not capable of noticing this. 

I will now shut all the windows opened for air, close the doors, turn the over on to heat the place, and add another blanket on the bed.  I canny wait for January!

Allsorts Today

 

After a very tiring day, I actually had to work again, I sat down to scribble something of great note.  However, just as I did this I realised there was football on the TV, or at least on this 'Viaplay' nonsense, an organisation that demands money so you can see your country playing football!  England, you will note, can see their team on terrestrial TV, why not Scotland?  Anyway, we were not playing, that is tonight, but my tired mind was happy to watch whoever was kicking lumps out of one another.  This meant I scribbled nothing.

The walk to Kirk on Sunday, then the shopping early Monday, a desire to lose weight pushed aside by a desire to make oatmeal biscuits, which turned out no bad, wrapping a parcel for the niece, followed by a rather stupid determination to weed the front wore me out.  This was harder than I imagined.  I ache all over now.  Still, the front is cleared, the biscuits are acceptable, the diet is still on as everything else appears to be vegetable today.    

Today however, my mind is still tired, I am doing nothing of any importance, and time for connecting to the real world has returned.  However, I then look at the real world and wish the football would start.

Last night the house of Commons voted by 354 'Ayes' to 7 'Noes' to accept the recommendation of the House committee to declare that Boris Johnson had lies to the House.  128 Tory MPs voted for the motion, 7 against.  The rest ran away and hid from their responsibilities.  This included our pretend PM Rishi Sunak.  His style of leadership meant he did not appear in the House all day.  Surely this is unacceptable.  The result means Boris is out on his ear officially now, and the joy remains amongst all decent people everywhere.  

Today the right wing press, do we have anything else? ignored the result and splashed a tale of a sunken mini submarine hunting the Titanic.  This is a glory trip for those willing to pay £195,000 to be taken 13,000 feet down to view the wreck.  However, they have not resurfaced, contact is lost, and we will all be aware that rescue is impossible in such circumstances.  

The truth is of course that the right wing press may fear the loss of a Billionaire aboard the craft, but they mostly wish to detract from Boris's defeat last night, anything will do.  

Apart from the thunderstorms that have come up from the south, watering the front and encouraging more weeds to sprout, little else appears to be happening.  It remains warm and sultry, rather like in the tropics, but without the parrots, snakes and beasties.  A few flies and moths at night attracted to the light.  

Nothing much else is happening, although some fuss is being made about cricket.  But we don't care about that, do we...?   

So, it has been 'Allsorts Today,' with little of any use to man nor beast.  

At least I did not ruin your teeth...

 

Boris, Congregational and Museum

 

                                                           Mail

It is no surprise to find Boris has accepted around £250,000 a month for lying in the 'Daily Mail.'  The 'Telegraph' or whoever will be owning the 'telegraph' soon, will be unhappy at this.  Of course the new owners might care little, and offer Boris the editors job and then the 'Daily Mail' will find reason to call the fat lazy, ungrateful coward, a fat lazy, ungrateful coward.  He will care not as long as someone pays him.

One report claims he has informed his people not to vote against the big vote on Monday, so he has a deal of some sort with Sunak.  But what would that deal involve, and why should anyone trust the untrustworthy rogue?  

Interestingly, it was pointed out that the Murdoch press said nothing much re Boris today, thus implying Rupert is looking elsewhere.  Murdoch is less loyal than Boris, so no chance of him working at the 'Times' any time soon. 

I just want him far away, preferably in jail, and soon all the other corrupt rogues can be following him into Pentonville!

The heat has been hot, but the furthest I have been remains the Supermarkets.  However, yesterday  I slogged it up the road to the large Co-op store in search of s suitable gift for the two youngest.  Lots of stuff but nothing suitable!  Ain't life grand!  Therefore I decided to try the kids toys in the museum.  On the way I passed the wife of the Congregational minister.  Sadly he had died in March and I never knew.  I was so sad about this as I had known them for many years.  Congregational churches, as you know, are owned by the congregation, and the problem here was the age of the people.  The minister over the years had buried most of them, and just before Covid struck only around eight members were left.  Aged people, Authorised Version bible, poor music, and this will not attract young folk.  The end was inevitable, and now this church, standing here for over almost 400 years, will soon begin to fall apart if a decision is not made for the future.  It looks like they will have to sell the building to another church in need.  It is a great building with semi circular seating, raised platform, room for development and its own graveyard, where all the previous ministers now lie.  The poor widow is of course cut up, they had been married over 50 years and very close.  The building has recently replaced the lead stolen ate at night, they stole the lead from the roof of the bank also, and this cost £11,000 to replace!  

Anyway, somewhat disheartened, I plodded round to the shop.  There the young assistant was keen on assisting me, to get me out of the shop again, she knows me well, and soon she had taken many pieces of gold from me and sent me on my way.  It costs a fortune just to browse in that museum these days.  

Boris Heads for the Door! Rejoice!

SKY

Boris has been shown the door!

Rejoice! Rejoice!

Instead of facing a by-election in his constituency and the response of the House, Boris has cut and run!  The coward would not face the people.  Of course, this means a by-election and Boris will leave this so things go badly for Rishi Sunak.  Sunak is to take the blame for the mess Boris has created by his life of selfishness.  Add to this it is no surprise Nadine Dorries, a Boris adherent, has also stepped down from the MP job she has not been working at for several months.  This also is to cause trouble for Sunak.  

This petty, schoolboy arguing has meant little to the electorate, it has however, lined the pockets of many who do not require the handouts, and reduced the money for those, if they are still living, who require such aid.

At the same time Trump, the orange coloured Boris impersonator, is also heading for a fall.  Keeping stacks of White House documents illegally may bring an actual jail time for the crook.  We can but rejoice that justice may well be catching up on those who have robbed us for many years.

The Boris press is having a breakdown, they fear they may be next, and this on top of Prince Harry having them exposed in court as underhand crooks.  The nation, well the majority, will however, be saying Rejoice!

 

Here is a clip of Boris' resignation letter. 

Trump, Tech and Spring!

Once Joe managed to get his aged head in the White House it was hoped the end would come for the fat, orange blob.  However, in spite of insurrection, rape allegations, court decisions and obvious mental health problems, Trump once again heads the count for the Republicans as Presidential candidate.  We think the UK parliament is in a mess?  

How does a man who supports the Russians in Ukraine, use and abuse women so openly, talk like a 14 year old taking his first drugs, and lie so obviously retain this position?  Uncle Joe is no hero and some of his statements are somewhat dubious, but with a choice between a semi dementia man with some decency, and a Nut Job who considers, and probably believes, that the world is there for him and him alone, which would you choose?  Joe would not lead the US into a war, against the Ukraine, Trump might!  Trump, with the monetary understanding of Liz Truss, could demolish the worlds economy in less than her 43 days.  Yet, many US citizens will vote for him!

The west has been morally degraded by the policies of great wealth and false liberalism.  The 'Stonewall' type freedoms have deluded many, the creation of wealth and the removal of that wealth has left many distressed, and Covid did play its part here.  It is interesting how immoral governments and economic distress go together.  The stability built up since 1945 has been gradually eroded.  The west has nothing to hold it together now.   And a return of both Trump and Johnson is on the cards.

Sleep well.

In the real world Spring has produced a lively concoction for the wee beasties.  Buttercups and these white things that I can never recall the name off, these abound round the park.  Yesterday, my body failed to make Kirk, so I wondered across the park enjoying the greenery.  The council cut down the dead daffodils and allow the space to be filled with all this beastie attracting growth.  They do manage it well, and this replaces the areas killed off by front gardens being turned into car parks.  No wonder the number of sparrows is diminishing.  

I love technology, I really do!

I love how technology enables my laptop to manipulate the anti-virus in such a way as it logs itself out, logs itself in, all unasked, and then slows everything down while it contemplates what it is doing.  This, I only understood after uninstalling 'Avast,' and then re-installing the thing this afternoon.  Why did it do this?  Was it attacked by a virus?  Anyway, all is now well, apparently, but every day, and in everyway, we are being driven mad by the technology that was discovered to aid us and make our life easier!   

Boris's Losers

PM Rishi Sunak has successfully put one over on Boris.  While 'Lard Boy' was lying in his teeth in the Committee rooms Sunak put through his revision of the Brexit Northern Ireland deal to almost everyone's satisfaction.  The result was the 'Ayes 515 the Noes 29.'  Some 22 Tory backbenchers, all the usual suspects shown here, voted against the Bill.  Six members of the DUP of Northern Ireland also voted against, plus one Andrew Bridgen, now an independent MP as his party do not want him.  Clearly the farce that is Brexit has reached a stage now.  A stage in which the return to the EU, or at least a close working relationship benefitting both sides can be reached. 

On top of that Boris and his ERG supporters, all as mad as the march Hare, can be seen to be on the way out.  At the head Boris is fighting, I mean lying for his life in the committee room.  His main tactic is to blame everybody else, indeed one commentator explained more buses had been called for as Boris had thrown so many people under them London was running out of them!  

I have followed his lies via Twitter.  I just cannot stand listening to him.  His bare faced lies, his buck passing, his sense of entitlement are too much for my tired mind.  

As far as I know the committee is still in session.  Tomorrow the air might be clearer, his guilt obvious, and his fate looming.  

Interesting to see how the commentators under the 'Daily Mail' stories are mostly against him, no matter how Paul Dacre and his lackeys try to defend him.

It could really be the end of Boris.

Parcelforce and PlusNet Upsetting the World, well me!

I'm peering into the distance.  I work on the basis that the harder I peer, the sooner the 'Parcelforce' man will appear.  This is a similar attitude taken by people standing waiting at bus stops.  As you pass you will notice them staring hard in the direction from which they expect a bus to appear, the harder they look, the sooner the bus will appear, or not as the case may be.  

So I sit here and peer.  

I ought to be fiddling about with the router, though 'fiddling' is to be understood in the terms of 'mass murder,' rather than 'fiddling.'  Once again the brute cut out during the football, five times while Brazil were exhibiting super skill against the Koreans.  My language was not biblical, my attitude not forgiving.

The intention was to call 'PlusNet' this morning but I hesitated until I have tried all the combinations, pulled all the wires, and shot the 'Outreach' engineer.  Unfortunately, or it is fortunate, I have had to await the, as yet unseen, 'Parcelforce' man.  Otherwise I may have been seen hanging around telegraph poles awaiting men in yellow Hi-vis while dangling a variety of weapons sufficient to make the Ukrainians jealous.  As it is the van has yet to appear, my parcel lies awaiting below, and he is rapidly joining the telecoms engineers in my estimation.  This parcel ought to have gone last Tuesday but was refused as they were on strike Wednesday and Thursday.  Insert 'I support the workers,' and 'Grrrrr,' here.  

Having discovered this brute was only giving 20.04, no wonder it is slow, I switched of the router, switched off the laptop, allowed both time to cool down and decide if they wished to work properly or not, then restarted them in due course.  The speed 'leapt up' (this is a misnomer) to 35.63.  Now this is of course better, and may enable watching the football today, however, it ought to be around the 60 mark!  Insert another 'Grrrrrr,' here.

Now I have a life, indeed it could be better but I do have one.  It is also true much of my life is lived through this blessed laptop, therefore when it fails all comes to a halt and I am exposed as trapped on a desert island.  I write a blog on here that few ever read bar those 'spiders' clawing information for Amazon, Google, Facebook and other chancers, but it is fun and an opportunity to shout at the world.  Indeed it was better in times past.  Some have died, some ran away, others drifted off onto Twitter, or family, or even a life themselves.  The rude repartee once enjoyed has lessened considerably over the last few years.  This is a pity.  Of course a great many got bored reading this codswallop, and who can blame them?  I read this and find myself yawning also.  

There is blue sky out there, though the remaining leaves are freezing off the trees.

Rishis Sunak, the temporary PM, is in hiding, Keir, the temporary leader of what was once the Labour Party and is now the red Tories, has decided to attack migrants, not support the striking workers, and probably wants to lead the Tory Party after the next election.  He has all their policies!  What a disgrace, so desperate to become PM he has sold the workers and runs after the Brexit voter.   His Gordon Brown led 'Devolution' amendments have failed miserably in Scotland, as they would.  Not that Keir cares, on the 'Red Wall,' matters to him.  

So the strikers continue to strike, on the railways, the post, the nurses joining them then the doctors and the paramedics.  December under the Tories with only thy right-wing press supporting their corrupt party is a terrible thing.  Of course Boris is behind much of this.  He is stirring rebellion, once Sunak fails at the polls as he must do Boris becomes the one to lead the Conservatives again.  Unless he is in jail of course.  It is time for Sunak to release the 'Russian Report,' and finish Boris.

A Quiet Week...

A quiet week, a week in which I decided to start Xmas shopping.  I like to have everything ready and off by December 1st, and so on the last 24 hours I have spent over £300 and still have some way to go.  The advantage of 'Amazon Gift Cards' is that they can be stuck in a card and the recipient buys what they want, not what I send.  This is better for all, and the girls, and it is mostly girls at the other end, prefer this.  I do not ask what they buy!

So I bought the cards, went back for more today, obtained other items from Tesco and B&M, strange the places Xmas comes from, and searched a charity shop or two.  Now all I have to do is organise all this in a sensible fashion and obtain cards to go with them.  Then there are the online shopping to do, but that can wait till nearer the time, and stuff for little hands round about. 

For those I popped into the museum and searched their overpriced shop.  I bought a couple of things, searched the actual museum for changes, recognised one of the dinosaurs on display, and bought museum honey and chutney.  Home then for the football.

How nice to see the team playing properly today.  'Up and at em' was the cry, led by Cammy Devlin our Australian dynamo.  What a man he is.  It was his drive that carried us through the first half alone.  After a few difficult games, missing many important players, we were heading back to our best again.  With the others returning, by Christmas we will be much better off, though probably out of Europe.  

The VAR experiment went well, Celtic lost out!  Without fair coverage they might have won!  Well done VAR!

Apparently we are aiming for another Prime Minister.  One of the contenders is Boris Johnson, liar, cheat and idiot, who considers the nation needs him.  Maybe he plans to kill another 180,000 in two years?  I wonder if the temporary PM will release the 'Russian Report' that Boris refused to release, as it contains evidence of his treason and all the Russian money pouring into Tory funds?  I somehow doubt it, decency is not her way.  So, the comedy show continues, we await developments.

 

The King, Ukraine and Boris

Guardian

 

I watched the 'Accession Council' in full this morning.  The Historical side attracts me, as indeed does the 'event' side.  It was good to see 200 members of the Accession Council confer with one another.  Some amicable to those from all sides of government, others no doubt keeping well apart from past or present foes.  Gordon Brown talking keenly to a Boris Johnson who was as uninterested as if he was being instructed by his advisors.  He was keen to chat to the official photographer however.  

Many today grumble about the fancy dress, the pomp and circumstance of the day.  However, this does reflect centuries of tradition and need not be thrown away altogether, all nations follow such pomp, some from recent foundations as well as those from a distant past.  The fact that History is not well taught to the public via the daily press or TV means the man in the street cannot always understand what the fancy dress is for.  Interesting to note the Accession Council were in lounge suits  mostly, the fancy garb, including tights, of past years has gone.  There is a place still for pomp, though sometimes I wonder about it.  I wonder more about the people who sycophantically follow the royals, buy all the vast pull-outs published this weekend, and worship the royals as if they were something other than human.  Clearly today showed they are human.  Just what they actually think of the media I do not know, but I doubt they enjoy the bull they have to read.

Interesting just how much time was given over to protecting the Church of Scotland and Scotland's rights during this event.  I could not help thinking that if the Westminster government gave similar attention Scotland's life would be better.

So, another event is over, Edinburgh for the next one, a 'Scottish lying in state,' then down to London, and funeral on Monday 19th.  I imagine that within 20 years things will have been changed, simplified, when Charles himself goes.  While proper administrative, public, handovers are required I expect changes in the next few days.  

In other news, the Russians are running away in parts of the Crimea.  Russian info has admitted this, but what excuse are they giving?  Their army, badly equipped, badly led, and with a minority of trained soldiers, has continued to cause offence to the world while moving backwards.  Will the Ukrainian army finally clear them out of the whole of Crimea?  Will Putin remain in charge?  Will more military leaders fall from high windows around Moscow?  The world waits.

From Twitter:-

TheBossRoss 

@BettinaSRoss1

The German edition of Saturday Night Live has this:

"During her reign, Queen Elizabeth II, received 11 male prime ministers, 

3 female prime ministers, and Boris Johnson."

Edinburgh, Autumn and Football

Louise Rayner - John Knox's House, Edinburgh

A quick glance at this picture and you may think the scene has not changed much in all these years.  This picture, painted in the later 19th century, is full of life and depicts what is supposedly a normal day in the life of the great city of Edinburgh.  We see the High Street, or 'Royal Mile,' as it is known as it leads from Edinburgh Castle down to Holyrood House, has always been a bustling place.  The painting portrays the locals, with a few workers of many kinds included.  The better off by now having moved down into the 'New Town' long since, we can tell the small tenement dwellings are occupied by those standing around in the street.  None are ashamed of hanging out the window and participating in the conversation, none are ashamed of washing hanging from the windows, neither activities being seen done today.  

However, this month Edinburgh endures, sorry, welcomes, the Festival.  An orgy of high class entertainment for the paying public.  Alongside this come the 'Fringe,'  this is an orgy of artists seeking fame and fortune, alongside those from previous generations who made it here in the long forgotten past.  This comes with a plague of leaflets no-one reads, mostly scattered about the streets or pinned to any available post, also unread by passers-by

Add to this mix the Dustbin men are on strike for a week!  This means wheelie bins overflow, rubbish piles up, and none gets collected.  The tourists flooding into Edinburgh, while the locals flood out if they can, get the benefit of Brexit Britain in their face, and certainly up their nose.  An excellent idea of the Binmen to make clear what is happening in our country today, low wages, high energy bills, and Brexit failures flood the nation, and the government, in Westminster, has gone on holiday!  As I keep telling the Brexiteers, "You voted for this!"  But they refuse to accept reality.  "This is not the Brexit I voted for!" Is their cry, though there never was any other on the table.  Lies and devious politicians, backed by very rich men abroad has brought the nation to its knees.  And Brexiteers refuse to accept this.  Trains, docks, Royal Mail, and dustmen on strike, and Brexit continues to make problems.  

Boris is on holiday.

400 miles away from all this I sit watching August slowly disappear from us.  Already 22 days in and leaves are falling from the trees.  Possibly this is encouraged by the dry ground, the heat heavy upon us this year, possibly just normal Autumn approaching.  

The sun still shines, though now through much more cloud, and slowly heads towards the west.  Women take their dogs across the quite safe park, enjoying the sun while standing gossiping about their neighbours with others like minded.  The impatient dogs snuffle around the fallen leaves and sun browned grasses always finding something to keep them busy.  

The rush hour now struggles past the door, music of an awful kind emits from one, a ringing phone from another.  Rap, with a capital 'C' passes by at three miles an hour, followed by the airport bus, hydraulic brakes squealing like a crying child.  Every evening the same people, the same slow struggle towards retirement.  Others, often retired, foolishly shop at Sainsburys in time to meet the rush hour.  They have done this for several years, why?  Have they never considered an early morning or late night shop?   I suppose getting up, checking the pills, finding breakfast, walking the dog, and then it is too late for shopping.  In the evening they would not wish to miss the 'Bread & Circuses' provided for them by broadcasters dulling the brain and hindering thought.  

I avoid such TV yet find my mind is dull and thought hindered.  Having exercised, twice early last week, then twice worked in the front to clear the mess I found my self very tired and aching much from Thursday onwards.  Even today, after a trip to Tesco, my body aches.  This, I must say, has nothing to do with the money saving offer on a bottle of 'Jameson's Orange Whiskey'  that was going cheap last week in Tesco.  Irish whiskey does not just possess a wrong spelling of 'whisky,' it is also only 30%, which tempts some to drink more than they ought.  Especially when watching football.  My neighbours now know I was watching football at the weekend.  

The City, as Was

Nothing much has happened recently, apart from temperatures heading for the 90s and everyone being sick of the liars contesting the Conservative leadership.  More noise about high energy prices, indeed Boris reappeared at a meeting of energy bosses in No 10.  Nothing happened bar him getting a backhander or two I suspect.  He certainly did nothing for the cost of living increase, however, his lackeys at all levels are keeping up the pressure to bring him back.  

The drought has been declared, so I will cease from washing, though I have done one today.  Tesco and washing sheets, my life is so full!

At least football is back, though to be honest it means little these days.  So much around me has little taste today.  In fact nothing tastes, that is, it means little unlike in days gone by.  Age is having an effect.  I have no problems disliking things, so much I see is trashy and worthless, though my forefathers must have felt the same.  The 'shiny' things of the world mean less as time passes, though if I were to obtain a large source of wealth my ideas may differ.  This of course is unlikely.  So, I will just remain here, a miserable old goat.  A position, I have been told, that suits me admirably.

Atkinson Grimshaw - The Thames Below London Bridge

Broken Camera

The one problem at the moment (only one?) is the wee camera.  It has been working fine but with the warm weather I have been carrying the thing in my jean pockets.  The other day I took one or two awful pictures and the lens jammed.  It would not retract, and now just sits there glaring at me.  

Whether the weather had a part in this I know not, but being jammed in the pocket is not good.  I made use of all my brute force and ignorance, but this failed this time.  

A quick search of the web brought several videos regarding repairing G11 problems, so this is good.  

I will soon attempt to play with it and maybe get it back working.  After all, when I have put my technical abilities to work elsewhere I have discovered, er, failure!  Ah well.

This is a good wee camera for £40 pounds, and no replacement is available at the cheap shop I obtained mine from.  However, by rummaging among the drawers I have found the old Leica wee'er camera that might do for now.  This was given to me by my brother when working at Leica, made up from broken camera bits!  It was good at first but will be shown up by the other cameras around now.  However as it has been lying for a while it is a bit dusty,  and I forget how to use the bits on offer.  

Still, I am not one to grumble.

I note the programme to bring Boris back into power is under way.  Watch the press carefully.

Sunny Sunday

I remained indoors this morning, sleep was fitful during the night and I did not fancy the walk.  The possible lift did not call so I remained eating and fiddling about instead of Kirk.  Naturally, with the sun at the zenith, around 12:30, I walked out across the park, round the gardens, and back down past the town centre.  Not that far, about 45 mins or so, but in the bright sunshine.   

My thermometer reads just under 80F, and tomorrow it may get worse.  Maybe I ought to have bought that overlarge hat yesterday anyway?  Nothing much appears to be happening.  Things are quiet as people sit in the sun, or hide from it, Twitter is full of Tory lies and bull, nothing in the press about Boris having a wedding party at Chequers on the taxpayer, thus indicating all the press men were there.  He has not gone, and he cannot be trusted!  He is up to something.

So, a feeble football match to fill the afternoon.  I would have been better asleep, catching up on what I missed last night.  Waking up every hour yet unable to return to sleep!  

Nothing new is on the horizon today.  The sun is keeping folks busy.  Boris's party has given them hangovers.  Tomorrow it all starts again...

Saturday Waffle

Only an idiot goes out twice on a Saturday that the temperature reaches 78%. 

So, just after 12:30ish I headed across the park.  Roads are quiet for the time, few about, sensible people remaining indoors.  However, once I reached the town centre I found plenty of them, mostly pig ignorant, blocking the paths, allowing kids to run wild, and playing at being the only person in the world!  I only killed three of them.

I first went out to Tesco to avoid the crowds, before 9am all was friendly and efficient for the most part.  Smiles and helpfulness abounded, no one rushed, pushed or stamped their feet impatiently, though we could have.  Happily I trudged back home with my reduced price bargains, but not with the hat to protect me from the sunshine, only one available and that too large.  

Yes, I thought that surprising also.

I went out the second time because I needed to walk, my head needed the view of something different, and the sun might have caught me this time.  I look forward to Monday when it gets to 39C.  I am already sitting/walking around starkers which has upset many wandering past across the road.

Elsewhere, the world continues to revolve around the failures of the tory party, various polls put various people in the lead.  Never trust a poll run by the Tory party!  I am becoming bored of it all.

Nothing Friday

Nothing happened today. 

Boris is still here (though the Chequers Party is off).

The hot heat descended as I hobbled up to Sainsburys.

It remained hot as I cleared up much of the remaining weeds in the front, cutting down much of the rest, leaving it until I can be bothered to collect and dump it. 

Then, aching, I sweltered indoors, avoiding the sun which has hit my handsome face somewhat.

Nothing new occurred.

Leading MPs are trying to become the new 'worst ever PM,' and Richi Sunak has taken an early lead.

Nadine Dorries claims she will try and run.

Tee Hee.

Hopefully Saturday is more productive.

Boris Resigns, But is Still Here...

 

                                           Madame Tussauds

Delighted as we all are at the hopeful, but not yet confirmed news that Boris is going, Madame Tussauds of Blackpool have stood their Boris Johnson waxwork outside the local Job Centre.  One of many responses to the news.

However, he has not yet gone.  For a start he has not 'gone to the queen' to offer his resignation.  That would make Victoria amused, I canny imagine how Liz will react.  Also, he is insisting on remaining in charge 'until a new PM is appointed.'  This could be three months!  He has already remade the cabinet, at least with those willing to return or stay, he is also planning his departure by seeking ways in which to ensure he does not actually depart.  The spoilt little brat will try every trick he can find to remain PM.  He must be removed and replaced by a temporary PM, I note Raab has claimed he will not stand for PMs job, so he can be stand in PM.  

I actually listened to his speech at lunch time.  A comparatively short one for him, but overlong for me, in which he offered no excuses, no remorse, but only passed the blame on others (Tory Herd Think) and at no time blamed himself.  Self-pitying, buck passing, blame avoiding, he never appeared anything but contemptuous of those listening.  I several times indicated my displeasure by commenting but he appeared not to listen.  Being 150 miles away is a disadvantage I suppose.

    "...them's the breaks."  It is clear that he wrote this bluster by himself.  

Train at the Station for Boris

I have been searching for steam engines.  You see my grandfather, who died in 1917, before I was born, drove steam engines in the 19th century.  On the census pages for 1881 and 1891 he is described as a steam engine driver, a very skilled operation.  He certainly left home and was living with his sister in Edinburgh opposite the great engine depot at Meadowbank when 15.  His sister had married an engine driver so this made an ideal place to learn.  Eventually, after returning home for reasons unknown, he was found in Edinburgh, growing family with him, and probably, but I remain unclear here, probably worked for the NBR, the North British Railway.  Incidentally, you see the arrogant English owners abuse of Scotland in that name!   He was of course working as a general labourer b y 1901, this was either because of various family problems, his wife ended up in a lunatic asylum and one son died in mysterious circumstances, or he got sacked for the drinking.  I wonder if he went home during his teenage years for similar activity?  He did return to driving with the new Gas Works at Granton.  There he worked the small loco used for moving tender of coal and whatever around the large yards.  He left there we think because of drink.  By this time his wife had died, he had remarried and by 1911 he had lost two more jobs, his wife, his home and his kids.  He lived out his time for 6 years in the workhouse.  The family, with my grandmother, moved to Granton by chance, and he met the kids once a week.    

Why am I blethering about this?

Well I was searching for possible engines he could, maybe, possibly, have driven, and I wondered what he would have thought about the Prime Ministers of his day?  He would have been born under the Premiership of Sir Robert Peel, way back in 1845.  While a young man tasting beer in Edinburgh Lord John Russell, famous for opposing the Corn Laws, and encouraging the Reform Act, would have been exchanged for the Earl of Derby, and while puffing back and forward across Scotland and possibly Northern England he would have witnessed, if he cared, the antagonism of Benjamin Disraeli and the great William Gladstone, who was also the MP for Midlothian at the time.  By the time he was reorganising his family, the eldest daughter really took over the mothers part very early, and settling in to a labouring job the 3rd Marquis of Salisbury was opposing home Rule in Ireland and supporting claiming as much as possible of Africa for the crown, and this while the Boer War of imperialist expansion continued.  Arthur James Balfour declared little of interest at this time, not even commenting in granddad's success at the gas works.  Henry Campbell Bannerman, a man who encouraged free school meals for children, Home Rule in Ireland, and led the Liberals to their last victory in the House in 1906,  he merely snorted when he realised our patriarch had been dumped from another job.  I am sure Henry Herbert Asquith, the last PM grandad would know, often considered drunk while on the front bench, would sympathise, though he never visited the workhouse.

For myself, I was born under the great Clement Attlee, a man who revolutionised the nation in a proper manner, first noticed Harold Macmillan, was old enough to understand Douglas-Home going down, and watching the rise of Harold Wilson, and keeping your eyes on Harold was always a good thing.  Ted Heath, who took us into Europe in the hope of avoiding another war, Callaghan who also had served in one, and then Thatcher of whom the less said the better.  John Major, decent but just a manager unable to cope with the Brexiteers, Tony Blair, who did many good things, all lost when he entered Iraq, and Gordon Brown, another decent man who came too late and was caught out by rising right wing nasties.  Since then we have entered a new world.  Attlee would not comprehend the depth of right wing anti-EU hatred.  Thatcher herself would fail to understand why we left the EU when that is where the money is!  And David Cameron, 'I went to Eton you know,' and Theresa May, (was she ever alive?) leave us with Boris Johnson.

The record for ministerial resignations was six.  As I scribble this Cabinet Ministers, junior ministers, PPS, and various others have been resigning, five on one letter!  By the time you notice this few will be left.  However, unless he fails to find sufficient to form a cabinet Boris can stay, even if he loses a vote of no confidence.  The royal house has little influence today publicly, however, as I understand it , the queen can step in and remove a PM and government in certain circumstances.  This is not one duty she would enjoy, but maybe in the lying PMs case, she might offer a giggle.

5 pm, the resignation total stands at 32.

I will wait a wee while before posting, we may see more yet!

5:14. resignations stands at 35.

5:28.  Count no 36.

Both the newly appointed Chancellor (chancer certainly) and the new Education Secretary have joined the senior MPs delegation in No 10 to tell Boris to go!  That's loyalty.  

17:53 Still only 36.

All awaiting Boris's response to the delegation.